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I had a question,if someone has an ICD,when your heart gets shocked over time (years)does that make your heart weak?Will you it turn in to cardiomapathy..(sorry dont know how to spell it).
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Avatar universal
My husband is 4 weks post ICD implant. He has Dialated Cardiomyopathy with an EF of 15%. His arteries are clear no narrowing or blockage. a virus is responsible for the DC. He is 56. Since the ICD he has cramping or apin in his heart that makes him terribly sick . The Dr can find nothing..blood tests, ECho EKG all fine. Is anyone out there experiencing this? Thanks in advance
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Avatar universal
Hi,  I had my first ICD implanted in 1991.  I had several shocks back when I was implanted over twenty in a day external and two from my ICD.  it didn`t do any more damage than I already had.  Dx with Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in 1985.
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554422 tn?1220575366
Thanks for the info.I have medicine to help calm me,but im not sure if i have a high tolerance or what but it doesnt do anything to help lower my heart rate,actually not much does..im on atenolol 50 in the morning,50 in the evening but I still have these V Tach eppisodes plus just a average heart rate of about 90 to 100.My nerves have been so bad because of the frequency of my episodes of V Tach..and ofcourse not yet having insurance to see a cardio..Any week now though I will have it,HOORAY...Its just extremely hard to work in housekeeping at a HOSPITAL while im having all my rhythm problems...
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391561 tn?1227047215
  I had a head-on MVA wherein I broke my neck and I believe the heart was damaged due to BFT (blunt force trauma). Cardio's say that is definitely possible, but without prior reference for heart, hard to prove. ( I was very healthy prior to acc, so no tests whatsoever needed for heart or otherwise - so nothing to compare to ). Day of acc, chest x-ray said heart 'looked' ok, so I think the damage went under the radar, until years later . AMT's mechanism of injury report stated that steering wheel was bent....
  As long as your heart is structurally healthy ( as I'm sure you're aware), you should relax and try to accept that they won't harm you. Ironically, you are probably causing more stress to yourself worrying about them, then they are .....  ;-) .   Provided, of course, that you are comfortable with the testing and evaluation results.
  I had ICD implanted 4/24/08. I was surprised when I saw results from interrogation ( they electronically pull info stored on ICD ) to learn that the ICD is set to allow my heart to resume normal sinus on it's own, before kicking in. I had originally thought that the ICD would immediately kick in for V-tach.
  I believe that recent tests find that prolonged pacing and 'therapies' can cause a weakening of heart.
I wish you well, and if can practice some form of calming meditation, or whatever works for you, to calm yourself during your runs of pvcs.  In health, Steve
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554422 tn?1220575366
So the docs dont know why you have cardiomyopathy?I am always scared that is whats gonna happen to me because I keep getting all these pvcs and V tach...but from what i hear thats a pretty rare thing to happen but still....How long have you had your ICD?
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391561 tn?1227047215
Hello, I'm Steve. I have ideopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and suffer from V-tach ( many pvcs ) I had v-tach sat night and was not delivered what they call 'therapy' - shock. Evidently my heart resumed normal sinus on it's own. My Medtronics Virtuoso is set to deliver therapy at rates of 15 j (joules), 25j and 35 j ( x 3). At that point, if needed, I believe it starts the zapping.
  I don't believe an EP would allow 'therapies'  to reach the damaging point. (probably would try to control with more aggressive med regimine).
Hope this is somewhat helpful, I wish you well...
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554422 tn?1220575366
Yea mine is just idiopathic VT...no known cause.Hearts structurally normal.
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Avatar universal
From my limited understanding if you have a structurally normal heart, the only reason they might give you an ICD is if they find you have or are prone to have sustained VT (vt lasting 30 seconds or longer) or VFib. I think you mentioned in an earlier post that you have experienced sustained VT. Some people have structurally normal hearts but for unknown reasons they experience serious arrhythmias, or conditions such as Brugada syndrome or Long QT. Those of us with ICDs are not shocked for just any arrhythmia because many of us have multiple arrhythmias and some do not necessitate defibrillation. Perameters are set so that the device recognizes the potentially fatal ones, then the unit attempts to cardiovert, then shock if necessary. Sometimes people do get shocked due to elevated heart rate due to exercise, but theoretically that isn't supposed to happen.
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554422 tn?1220575366
If you dont mind me asking,why did you have to have a ICD?
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554422 tn?1220575366
Hey there,I remember you from a long time ago!Thats what I thought,that it shocks you after so long of being in V TACH.My runs last about 20 secs?Its hard to tell,because Ive never really timed it before!All I know is I havent passed out!Im very thankful I can feel when it happens,maybe not necesarilly right when it starts but somewhere during it I know whats going on..then ofcourse panic consumes me and I start running around like a crazy person couging ect.
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554422 tn?1220575366
Oh boy tsco,I wish you were right,but unfortunatly I do hav V tach.I had an ablation for it a few years back..it helped me live a more normal life for a couple years but now the V tach is back and worse then ever.I was told theres always a chance of the areas returning.Im glad I had it done though,no regrets.I just wish it lasted longer!My problems started when i was 19,just some pvc (which scared me to death)..saw lots of diff cardios..but as the years went on,they became more frequent and then started happening in "rows".Thats what I would tell my docs,then after doing some research I was pretty much FOR SURE what was happening..NSVT.It took awhile but I ended up seeing a good electrothesiologist who saw what was going on and suggested my ablation.I have a structurally "normal"heart,just have bad electrical probs!Luckily right now coughing and other maneuvers have stopped my V Tach but there was a close call weeks ago when I had to go to the e.r.Im getting insurance in a few weeks so I will be able to hopefully get this taken care of!What are your heart probs?
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Avatar universal
Hey,
Saw your post.  If you have SVT which is not life threatening you don't need an ICD.  The SVT is very bothersome but will not hurt you (check with your doc and make sure what you have).  Sounds like you have tons of PACs and PVCs like me.  Can you imagine You might as well put an extension cord on my back and plug me in because I would be shoked all the time. Lke ireno said typically these are for V tach or V fib and they detect early and stop it. I don't think you have that from what you have said. I can cough and stop my SVT sometimes too. Unfortunately I don't think things like a pacemaker and ICDs work on us.  I'd like to know if someone knows something additional
Thanks
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Avatar universal
I have had my ICD two months today, and have already been shocked once one month ago to the day.  So i'm waiting to see if I'll get shocked again today since it's been one month to the day since the last one month to the day LOL.
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187666 tn?1331173345
When my Dad had his ICD it only shocked him when he was in V-tach for a certain period of time or if he went in to V-fib which is life threatening anyway. My understanding is that the amount of electricity used to shock the heart back to rhythm is much less than when the paddles are used externally because the zap is being directly applied to the heart itself. I don't know what the difference is in terms of joules or however they calculate it. Plus they can have different settings - small zaps and bigger zaps. At least that's how my Dad's was set up.
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554422 tn?1220575366
Oh that would be great if you could find more out for me..I knew it only shocked if you were say in SVT..but i have episodes daily to every other day of that so I was just a little concerned.I can get myself out of the VT by coughing ect..so i was just imagining if it were to shock me EVERYDAY that would be a lot of shocks...
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Avatar universal
The ICD will only shock you if your heart needs to be shocked due to a dangerous arrythmia. It doesn't just shock you randomly or unnecessarily (unless there is a device malfunction, which I understand is very rare, besides the docs check the device every 3 months or so to make sure everything is working correctly). Many people go years without ever being shocked. As far as weakening the heart, I don't know, but I have some smart friends with ICDs who may know and I'll try to see what I can find out.
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